Laminated glass is a safety glazing material that holds together when shattered. Laminated glass may crack upon impact, but the glass fragments adhere to the protective interlayer rather than falling free and potentially causing injury. Typically laminated glass is constructed with two plies of glass permanently bonded together with polyvinyl butyral (PVB). Those plies can be annealed, heat strengthened or tempered. AGNORA can laminate up to 8 layers of glass and 100 mm – 4” thickness.

Laminated glass has been used since 1939 in automobile windshields. Its use in architectural projects started in the 1960s in applications where there is a possibility of human impact or where the glass could fall if shattered. Skylight glazing typically uses laminated glass. This is the best technology in hurricane-resistant construction; laminated glass is often used in exterior storefronts, curtain walls and windows.

The use of ionoplast interlayer (SentryGlas® IG) opens up a new era in structural glass design. Advanced interlayers offer design flexibility with options for translucency, colour, printed designs, etc.

Advantages of Laminated Glass

Safest glass available – retains fragments
Remains intact, transparent and functional even if broken – perfect for storefront
Provides safety with annealed glass – no roller wave distortion
Design freedom: colour, translucency, opaque, solar control
Burglar retardant
Bullet resistant when multi-layers of glass are used
Protection from flying debris in hurricane
Protection for bomb blast
Cuts 99% of Ultra-Violet light
Improves acoustic properties

Heat Treatment

In order to provide greater resistance to thermal, mechanical stresses, and achieve specific break patterns for safety glazing applications, annealed float glass can be subjected to a heat treating process.

Fully Tempered

Tempered or toughened [UK] glass is a type of safety glass processed by controlled thermal treatments. It is four times stronger than annealed glass. Tempering shrinks the faces of the glass thus putting the outer surfaces into compression and the inner surfaces into tension.
This imprisoned energy causes the glass, when broken, to shatter into small, granular chunks instead of splintering into jagged shards. The granular chunks are less likely to cause injury.